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Updated MacBook Pro to macOS Sonoma, now battery drains quickly

I updated my MacBook Pro this morning to macOS Sonoma. Everything was good at first and I really like the look and feel. But as soon as I took it off my charger to go to some meetings the battery dropped from 74% to 44% in about 5 minutes. Then as soon as I turned on WebEx the battery dropped from 44% to 7%.


Anyone else having battery drain issues with macOS Sonoma? Is it maybe just temporary from all the background activity similar to the phones?


[Re-Titled by Moderator]

MacBook Pro (2017 – 2020)

Posted on Sep 27, 2023 12:36 PM

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Posted on Oct 31, 2023 6:55 AM

There are too many people complaining about this issue all over the world on many websites. What was mentioned is true about what causes the drain but for us who reinstalled and reinstalled both Ventura and Sonoma, we are not dumb to not know the difference. 20+ hours reading PDFs on Ventura to 6-10 hours on Sonoma doing the same is too significant to ignore. I think it's an insult to our intelligence thinking that many of us do not know what we're talking about when apple techs keep making suggestions about this and that without addressing the issue. the problem is common out there across the internet and a simple google search of "Sonoma battery drain" will show that.

266 replies

Oct 20, 2023 7:50 AM in response to chdsl

Not all apps retain their state well when doing this, but beyond that, I find that the OS likes to litter previously open Finder windows somewhat randomly across my desktops. (e.g. I keep a few tabbed Finder windows on each desktop which relate to the type of work I do on each, and on restarting, I have to move them around)

Oct 20, 2023 8:45 AM in response to chdsl

Yeah, that I get. What I mean is the *location* of these Finder windows, and which Desktop they show up on, is unpredictable on restarting the computer. Or rather, inconsistent.


Kind of a tangent to the overall thread, but just pointing out one (of many) reason why "just shut it down when you're done with it" isn't really a viable option as a workaround to this battery drain bug.

Oct 20, 2023 9:07 AM in response to kriista

Finder opens right in the middle of the screen, or where I leave it when I am working. It doesn't matter where it opens as far as it works. The Finder works in Sonoma, as it did in Ventura and in Monterey. By the way, all apps open where I leave them on the screen when I work/use the MBP.


On the question of the "battery drain" it most probably happens due to the incorrect usage, I suppose, not giving enough rest for the battery and the MacBook. Sleeping while connected to power is not resting, even if the MacBook is quite cool in the morning. Apple never advocated that you should keep the MacBook connected to power all the time. Apple had created the optimised charging mode for those who do.

Oct 21, 2023 12:30 AM in response to chdsl

This leads to nothing, because the standby draining is only a side effect. The main issue is, that when i use my macbook for programming the battery drains from 100% to 8% within three hours. That's the main issue!!! Before Sonoma i could use it at least for one whole day, most of the time even longer, before using a charger.


I think we are on a good way: Using my macbook without wifi leads to a normal battery usage like before Sonoma. But that cannot be the solution to use it without wifi.

Oct 21, 2023 12:54 AM in response to trashcoder

trashcoder wrote:

This leads to nothing, because the standby draining is only a side effect. The main issue is, that when i use my macbook for programming the battery drains from 100% to 8% within three hours. That's the main issue!!! Before Sonoma i could use it at least for one whole day, most of the time even longer, before using a charger.

Programming is mostly writing, and a bit of testing whatever you've done, so why should it take so much energy? Maybe, something else is eating up the energy, such as a 3rd party modifier app(s) or an antivirus app running in the background.

Oct 21, 2023 6:30 PM in response to trashcoder

trashcoder wrote:

ok, again:

Wifi on: Battery empty within three hours
Wifi off: Battery not empty within three hours

Chances are one or more apps are accessing the Internet and causing the laptop to work harder. iCloud and other cloud file syncing services are a possibility as are any other online apps such as e-mail apps and web browsers & social media apps. You would be surprised how many apps go online to check for & install updates in the background & are constantly transferring data back & forth.


i didn't installed anything new. I don't use anti virus apps.

Cleaning/optimizer apps and third party security software are also known to cause these issues as well.


File sharing & BitTorrent apps will also cause a lot of activity & battery drain.

Oct 22, 2023 5:18 AM in response to AppleAnswerDude

Have the same problem. Shutting of wifi before going to standby solves it for me.


With wifi on my battery drains like **** when going to sleep and is empty next morning. With wifi off, behavior as usual. Have Sonoma active for 2 weeks. Not sure what is happening when wifi is on during standby, but it sure is taking all the energy from my battery in Sonoma.

Oct 22, 2023 7:45 AM in response to annor44

annor44 wrote:

Have the same problem. Shutting of wifi before going to standby solves it for me.

Not sure what is happening when wifi is on during standby, but it sure is taking all the energy from my battery in Sonoma.

Some apps are working in the background eating up the energy. Best get rid of background apps, 3rd party modifier apps, 3rd party antivirus apps, OneDrive app or at least it's syncing with the "mother" server.


If nothing helps, isn't it better to go back to Ventura and wait until your MacBook becomes compatible with the new Sonoma?


My Intel i7 2018 Touch Bar, by the way, is compatible with Sonoma and ran 7 hours on battery and still had 25% of battery power with normal daily work with wifi, bluetooth on.

Oct 23, 2023 7:15 AM in response to alperevren

alperevren wrote:

Macbook Pro Maximum Capacity decreased from 99% to 98% in a week. I have no new software on my Mac except Sonoma :)
Looks battery goin' to die so fast.

The Battery's Maximum Capacity percentage change has nothing to do with Sonoma except for the calculation of the percentage value since the percentage is being calculated from raw information/values provided by the battery itself. The Apple batteries have their Full Charge Capacity (FCC) fluctuating up & down in minor increments even with a good healthy battery. These minor fluctuations of the battery's FCC can result in a several percentage change shown & reported by macOS as the Battery Capacity percentage. Keep in mind, this Battery Capacity percentage was only introduced to the average user with the release of macOS 13.x Ventura, so most people have no idea how this percentage value really behaves on a Mac. I am probably one of the few people who have really performed detailed observations of the Apple batteries because I am responsible for supporting thousands of my organization's Apple laptops.


As for the battery charge levels dropping, see my previous post regarding the most likely culprits. On a co-worker's personal Apple Silicon Mac where the battery charge dropped to 0%, I discovered that iCloud was syncing pictures overnight (this was an Apple Silicon Mac running Ventura...not Sonoma). It wasn't easy to discover.

Oct 23, 2023 8:08 AM in response to kriista

kriista wrote:

If the battery is being zapped to zero every single day (as is the case for myself and others, hence this thread) it is definitely taking a toll on the long-term life of the battery.

Not disputing that. Only saying it can be difficult to determine exactly what is causing the excessive CPU utilization & battery drain. I have listed the most likely sources though to look at.

Updated MacBook Pro to macOS Sonoma, now battery drains quickly

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